Bridget Luter

Courtney, most states use CFR 21 as a standard for jams and jellies, but unlike most states, CA has it written into their law. Regardless of the laws, following CFR 21 is recommended to ensure the safety of your product. Low sugar jams and jellies are possible, but they may need to be refrigerated. You should contact the health dept to learn about…[Read more]

I saw on another thread where someone was talking about requirements for sugar/fruit ratios in jellies and jams. Does anything like that apply to MS?

I understand that $20K doesn’t sound like much (I had a similar feeling when starting my CFO), but actually, most CFOs are doing very well to do $20K of sales in the first, second, or even third year. When thinking about a business, it’s easy to think about all the potential it has, and the last thing you’d want is for the law to limit you when…[Read more]

I don’t think it matters (the law doesn’t specify it), but FM managers can require whatever they want to. So if they will kick you out if you don’t use stick on labels, then I would use them!

I don’t know of any efforts already underway, but usually amendments have to start at the grassroots level. If you are interested in getting more involved, I can put you in touch with an organization that can help you start a campaign. Almost all cottage food laws have started by someone like yourself taking initiative.

Taxes are different for everyone… it depends on the county you live in. In most states, CFOs are exempt from state tax, because they are selling goods that are consumed off their premises. You may have to still pay local sales taxes though. You need to check with whatever departments oversee sales taxes for your area.

You will need to file…[Read more]

I agree that it could be more clear, and part of the reason that it currently isn’t clear is that there are no rules or requirements for getting started. What you see on that page is all the rules there are… no health dept license or inspection needed. One thing you should do, however, is call up your planning division and ask if there are any…[Read more]

Brandon, my general advice is start small. Just try a few of your best products out at first and see where that goes. Aside from the info on the Mississippi page, did you have any specific concerns?

You mean inter-county sales within the state? Yes, that’s fine.